N Brown Group appoints former M&S exec Richard Price as non-executive director
N Brown, the parent company of JD Williams, Simply Be and Jacamo, has appointed former M&S executive Richard Price as a non-executive director to support its strategy for long-term growth.
With more than 35 years’ experience in retail, Price served as managing director of clothing, home and beauty at Marks & Spencer until 2025, where he led a transformation of the division.
Subscribe to TRBPrior to this, he was chief executive of F&F Clothing at Tesco, and also previously held senior leadership roles at BHS and Next.
N Brown said the appointment will bolster the board’s retail, operational and strategic expertise, adding that Price’s experience leading large scale retail businesses will be beneficial in helping the business drive growth and evolve its retail proposition.
Price will also become chair of the remuneration committee.
Meanwhile, Malcolm Le May, who has served as chair since March 2026, will become executive chair following the increasingly active role he has taken in the business. In the new role, he will focus particularly on the group’s financial strategy, working alongside chief executive Dan Joy and the wider leadership team.
Le May said: “Richard is an exceptional addition to the N Brown board. He has spent his career at the forefront of UK retail, with a proven ability to transform major businesses by sharpening their product proposition, strengthening commercial performance and navigating periods of significant change.
“That experience is highly relevant to N Brown as we continue the transformation of the business. Richard understands what it takes to reinvigorate established retail brands while staying focused on the customers they serve, and his commercial judgement and strategic perspective will be hugely valuable around the board table.”
The changes follow the recent appointment of former John Lewis executive Zoe Matthews as managing director of retail. Having spent the last year working as senior vice president at Reliance Retail, she has also held senior leadership roles at George at Asda, The Very Group, Gap Europe, White Stuff and House of Fraser.
